Label basics

Labels are used to share information about an item. This information can take the form of identifying a brand, instructions for operation, health benefits, ingredient lists, warnings, and everything in between. Labels make for versatile tools when it comes to marketing thanks to their many uses.

What types of materials can labels be printed on?

Labels can be printed on numerous materials, including paper, plastic, vinyl, polyester, polypropylene and cloth. Different materials may be better suited for different uses. For example, bumper stickers are frequently made from vinyl and combined with a powerful adhesive to ensure they don’t fall apart when subjected to the outdoors.

Typical uses for labels

Some common types of labels include return address labels, mailing labels, manufacturing and product labels, content warning and cautionary labels, instruction labels, water bottle and food labels, as well as stickers of all kinds.

Designing a custom label

Labels don’t necessarily need to be extravagant or artistic. As a minimum, they just need to include basic information such as what an item is, what people need to know about that item, and what people should do with that item. If you want an added touch of aesthetics, you can always engage a graphic artist to custom create images, text and colors either by hand or with a computer graphics program.

Effective messaging for labels

As noted above, minimalism can go a long way. Your message should be simple, concise and easy to comprehend. Text should be large enough that a casual viewer will immediately get the point you’re trying to make without the label being crowded. Images should be used to enhance product and/or brand recognition.

Why use professionally printed labels

Labels can definitely be a do it yourself affair. However, if you’re an up and coming business looking for new investors or patrons, DIY labels that smear, blur, peel and smudge at the slightest friction can easily damage your brand perception and credibility. The same is true for established companies consistently acquiring new customers.

Here are a few reasons to work with a professional custom label printer to get the best results:

• Sturdier labels require heavier weight papers. Heavier weight papers require high end digital printing equipment that can process heavier materials cleanly.
• Waterproof coatings can be added after printing to protect your labels. This means they can be used in and around water, as well as survive moisture and the outdoors.
• Choice of label backings lets you choose between permanent labels or removable labels based on the type of adhesive applied.
• Want to create fully customized and branded marketing materials, like stick-it notes similar to 3M post-it notes? A custom print shop can design, print, cut and create pads like this, as well as other specialty items, to your exact specifications.
• Software suites like Adobe (InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat) offer the most options and features for designing professional labels that are effective. With the right software package, an experienced graphic designer can pull together anything design and format you can think of. While these design programs can be expensive to acquire, you can be certain that professionals in the design and print world will put this type of software to work for you.